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| New ETJ Map Provides Critical Information |
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The Houston market-place is in fact a complex patchwork of several dozen municipalities and overlapping governmental jurisdictions. As Texans we are often tempted to take a cavalier or libertarian attitude toward land use regulations. But, the real estate professional that does not pay attention to jurisdictional geographies is courting disaster. The feasibility, or even the permissibility, of a real estate venture may depend on its location and the governmental entities that hold sway over the property.
Since there has never been a good comprehensive source for the Houston area municipal boundaries, HAR had a map prepared. Larger cities have what is called an “Extra Territorial Jurisdiction” or ETJ. The ETJ is the area outside of the city limits over which the city still has the ability to impose regulations. So, just because you are out in an unincorporated area of the county does not mean that you don’t need to pull a building permit from the City. There is not an easy or 100 percent accurate way to know if a property is in an ETJ, but the new map that was prepared is a great place to start. HAR worked with the firm of LJA Engineering to compile information for the seven-county area that constitutes the core of HAR’s service area. This information is subject to change and some subjective interpretation, so the map might assist you but you still may need to do additional research with a specific city.
Possible annexation by a city is another good reason to keep track of ETJ boundaries. If you are located inside a city’s ETJ, you are fair game for annexation. There are mandatory disclosures that a seller of real property located in a MUD district must make. The type of disclosure varies depending on whether the property is located inside or outside of a municipal ETJ.
You can download a copy of the ETJ map from the “Research” area of the Commercial Gateway CIE Web site at www.CommercialGateway.com. The map will also be available during the month of February from the front page of Commercial Gateway. I hope that you find this to be a useful resource.
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